This video (above) showcases Sonic running through Casino Forest stage. According to SEGA, Casino Forest is an ancient ruins currently being converted to a casino by Eggman. And, as you can see, the zone has a similar flair to the old Casino Nights Zone, with similar pinball flippers, bumpers and slot machines – although this time set in a lush forest.

Today, SEGA® released brand new footage from its highly anticipated new Sonic title, Sonic Forces™. The video unveils gameplay of Classic Sonic speeding through Casino Forest, a stage which gives a nod to the iconic Casino Night Zone from previous Sonic games.

The brightly lit, colorful stage features pinball-based level designs, complete with bumpers, pinball flippers, and slot machines. Bounce and flip on over to this link here to catch the new gameplay footage. Also, in case you missed it last week, check out the latest trailer, the Sonic Forces Story Trailer, here.

From the team that brought you Sonic Colors™ and Sonic Generations™, Sonic Forces has players experience fast paced action as Modern Sonic, catapult past perilous platforms as Classic Sonic, and use powerful new gadgets as their own Custom Hero Character. The game will be available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on November 7. Both Digital and Physical Bonus Editions of the game are now available to pre-order!

Source: SEGA PR

]]>http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/26/new-sonic-forces-trailer-showcases-casino-forest-zone/feed/033482http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/26/new-sonic-forces-trailer-showcases-casino-forest-zone/The Breast Alliance of All Time?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seganerds/~3/RB8F1grpOl8/
http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/24/the-breast-alliance-of-all-time/#commentsSun, 24 Sep 2017 19:38:54 +0000http://www.seganerds.com/?p=33459Whether it’s including cat-fights in Yakuza or being the first game company to apply “boob physics” to a non-human character in the Sonic Adventure series, the folks at SEGA have made it quite clear that they are fans of the finer female form.
Sweet Jesus, I’d love to get my hands all over… Yakuza Kiwami 2.

Completely ignoring the irony that Sonic’s primary gameplay mechanic is turning himself into a blue ball, SEGA has taken their love of the ladies to a new level this weekend at the Tokyo Game Show by announcing a partnership with the Hooters restaurant chain to promote the upcoming release of Sonic Forces. But don’t get your chili dogs warmed up just yet- this partnership, at least so far, appears to be limited to Japan.

While the full details of the partnership have yet to be announced, the Hooters locations where the promotions will take place preliminarily appear to be Akasaka, Ginza, and Shibuya West.

There’s also no word as to whether Sonic Forces will have any extra Hooters-related content added to it, but I’m sure that Sonic fans everywhere are dreaming of the possibilities. Hooters girl DLC? Hooters meets Howard Johnson? Costume options for Rouge the bat? Hooters & Knuckles?

I, for one, welcome the new age of Sonic fan art that this partnership will spawn

Personally, you’ll never get me to step foot in a Hooters location ever again. No matter how many times I go and pay good money for those tasty, spicy chicken wings, when I ask my waitress if she wants to come back to my place and try my own special sauce – for FREE, I might add – I get kicked out. Bitches.

Not able to high-tail it to Japan? Don’t let blue balls get you down. Sonic Forces releases on November 7th.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to do some extensive research into this exciting development. You know, for journalism. Boob journalism. (Heads to Deviant Art)

SEGA has released the English version of the Story Trailer for Sonic Forces Friday afternoon, nine days after Japanese version.

The trailer begins with Eggman ranting, “Sonic, how I hate him. And all that loathing has been focused into this invincible instrument of destruction!” as he walks over to his latest creation, Infinite. This scene reveals that, just like Shadow by Professor Gerald, this omnipotent mink was artificially engineered by Dr. Eggman.

We then cut to the headquarters of Sonic’s friends where Knuckles announces, “Eggman’s forces have chewed through our defenses in Green Hill.”
“Eggman’s army has everyone terrified,” Silver says as some of Eggman’s henchmen condescendingly creep up towards Tails and other Mobians he’s trying to protect.
At Eggman’s stronghold, the red wolf avatar, christened Gizmo by fans, is rescued by Sonic before getting clobbered by the robots. Sonic reaches his hand to Gizmo and exclaims, “Here goes, partner!”

In some kind of eerie homage to Deem Bristow’s Eggman in Sonic Heroes, Mike Pollock’s Eggman declares, “In just three short days, my plan will eliminate the bothersome lot of you.”
Infinite propels himself towards Gizmo and drives a fist into Gizmo and says, “I’ll teach you fear, then pain.”
The trailer ends with Sonic saying, “When we join forces, the sky’s the limit!”

The voice-acting for the English dub was initially a little screechy, especially Knuckles’ voice-acting, but it shouldn’t be an issue since I’ve already grown to like the current voice cast for Sonic and Co. Warren Graff’s script really fits the dark tone of Sonic Forces given his writing history with Happy Tree Friends.

Sources close to us say that Yu Suzuki might be formally announced as a contributor soon, which is very exciting news. You cannot make a Dreamcast book without the man behind Shenmue and Virtua Fighter, that’s for sure.

]]>http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/22/bernie-stolar-yuji-naka-peter-moore-others-contributing-to-sega-dreamcast-collected-works/feed/033453http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/22/bernie-stolar-yuji-naka-peter-moore-others-contributing-to-sega-dreamcast-collected-works/Yakuza: Kiwami 2 includes fully playable versions of Virtua Fighter 2 and Virtual-Onhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seganerds/~3/r_YYC6Z_6pc/
http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/22/yakuza-kiwami-2-includes-fully-playable-versions-of-virtua-fighter-2-and-virtual-on/#commentsFri, 22 Sep 2017 17:29:11 +0000http://www.seganerds.com/?p=33447SEGA has had quite an eventful Tokyo Game Show this year and the news just keeps rollin’ in. During last month’s Yakuza event, SEGA formally announced Yakuza: Kiwami 2, which is scheduled to come out in Japan on December 7th for PlayStation 4.

It was revealed during SEGA’s live streaming event that Kiwami 2 will include Virtua Fighter 2 and Virtual-On as fully playable games. There was no mention whether these two games would be the arcade versions or their Saturn counterparts, but we’ll keep you posted as more information rolls in.

In the meantime, check out the footage above and let us know what you think in the comments below!

]]>http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/22/yakuza-kiwami-2-includes-fully-playable-versions-of-virtua-fighter-2-and-virtual-on/feed/133447http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/22/yakuza-kiwami-2-includes-fully-playable-versions-of-virtua-fighter-2-and-virtual-on/7 of the most addictive video gameshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seganerds/~3/_B7q-mXDOr0/
http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/21/8-of-the-most-addictive-video-games/#commentsThu, 21 Sep 2017 17:43:26 +0000http://www.seganerds.com/?p=33433From the stages of their earliest inceptions in the coin-operated arcades of yesteryear, every good video game has lived and died by how compelling it is to play. We’re going to look at seven of the catchiest video games that have kept players coming back again and again until the callouses start mounting up.

1. Tetris

One of the earliest marquee video game franchises, Tetris nonetheless remains one of the most simplistically compulsive games of all time. Manipulating a random sequence of square shapes may seem easy, but the game can quickly get away from you if the blocks don’t crumble in your favor, or you take your eyes from the prize.

Interestingly enough, there have been many Tetris releases on SEGA systems, beginning with an System 16 arcade port developed and published by SEGA of Japan in 1988. There were also ports for the Master System and Genesis/Mega Drive, although legal issues prevented this version from being widely distributed, and it remains as one of the more rare SEGA games to this day.

2. Street Fighter 2

The greatest beat ’em up franchise of all time captured gamer’s hearts with Street Fighter 2, which deceives with a simple and easily learned gameplay style that belies the depths of the gaming mechanics at play. Between learning zoning and frame data to gleaning reads on your toughest opponents and finding the character that best fits your play style, there’s never been such an iconic multiplayer game to strive to get better at.

Like Tetris, there were also several notable SEGA ports, including a Master System release in Brazil by TecToy, which only had eight of the 12 fighters available due to the Master System’s size limitations. We can’t vouch for its quality, but the arcade and Genesis/Super Nintendo versions of Street Fighter 2 will definitely live on as one of the true great fighting games of all time.

3. Demon Souls

You might not think one of the most notoriously difficult single player games ever made would qualify as addictive, but that’s exactly what keeps legions of players faithfully returning to Atlus’ RPG/Action game year after year. There’s a certain prestige attached to beating bosses at vinnarum casino in these games that calls back to the old school difficulty spikes of the pre-32-bit era. No matter how much punishment they seem to dole out, these games remain beloved of seasoned gamers who want a challenge they can’t find from meeker games elsewhere.

4. Phantasy Star Online

Mention Phantasy Star Online on social media or any video game forum, and you’re bound to hear SEGA fans seethe with anger over SEGA not releasing Phantasy Star Online 2 in the West, despite multiple reassurances it would do so. The series began life on the Dreamcast and was the first game to bring a massive multiplayer online experience to console owners.

The game had you traverse a series of dungeons and outside levels either solo or with a group of fellow adventurers, where you battled against a range of enemies, like Rag Rappies, Boomas and slimes. Similarly to games like Destiny, collecting new equipment was a core part of what made this game so addictive. Sonic Team created an innovative communication system that allowed players from all over the world to connect and play together on a dial-up connection.

5. World Of Warcraft

You don’t even need to have ever played Warcraft to realize Activision’s MMORPG is a problem. Lampooned by dozens of pop-cultural touchstones, this fantasy multiplayer game thrives on the excitement of cooperative dungeon raiding giving players a social thrill akin to what many people feel in real-life situations. Play at your own risk, as the game could end up occupying the lion’s share of your free time.

6. Destiny

Developer Bungie had a lot of expectations on it’s shoulder after breaking away from being Microsoft’s marquee first-party developer after creating the seminal Halo series for the Xbox family of home console platforms. Loosed from those tethers, they went on to realize the ambition of creating a truly massively multiplayer online first person shoot ‘em up. Something of a dearth of content plagued the franchise through the first year of its development. But with the sequel just on the horizon, Destiny has started to match the initial promises.

7. Pokemon

Nintendo’s world-conquering RPG has remained one of the most profitable video game franchises in the world by sticking to its original formula: a bouncy quest story wrapped around a solid turn-based combat system wedded to the compulsive collectability of the eponymous Pokemonsters. Beating gym trainers and real world combatants retains a thrilling unpredictability that many games would love to replicate.

]]>http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/21/8-of-the-most-addictive-video-games/feed/133433http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/21/8-of-the-most-addictive-video-games/Review: Yakuza Kiwamihttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seganerds/~3/RHG2Nt3SvLM/
http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/20/review-yakuza-kiwami/#respondWed, 20 Sep 2017 18:32:13 +0000http://www.seganerds.com/?p=33368The yakuza with a heart of gold is back once again, this time in an updated remake of his very first adventure.

Yakuza 0 was my first experience with the series, and if you haven’t played the game and/or read my review, I encourage you to do so before proceeding. The reason is that even though it isn’t essential to have played 0 before Kiwami, the latter is still nonetheless built off the former, and in many ways, to understand one is to understand the other.

In truth, this comes more from a mechanical perspective than a narrative one, as both titles purportedly use the same engine. This comes through in a variety of ways, as both games largely tend to look, feel, and sound the same on a fundamental level. I don’t personally see this as a bad thing in any way, but at the same time, the fact that this comes from designing both games to run on the PlayStation 3 (in Japan, at least), some minor things like occasional pop-up do spring up from time to time.

Taking control of Kazuma Kiryu tends to feel much the same as well, though I found early on that using his various fighting styles felt slightly different to me than they did in Zero, though that may have simply been my being used to the more leveled-up versions in that game before having to go through the process again in this one. That process is an interesting one in itself, as you do have one of those sorts of “resets” that takes you from a powered-up Kazuma at the start of the game to a point where you have to work your way back up.

In fact, this works against the game at one point early on. I thought the difficulty was uneven as some mooks went down in no time flat, while bosses were like wailing away at a brick wall (though knowing Kiryu, he’d probably do better against the brick wall). It turns out that this is due to a sloppy implementation – or rather, education – of a feature newly added to this release: The Kiwami Heat action.

Basically, during the course of a boss battle, you build up your Heat Climax meter, and when the boss gets winded, they’ll glow with a colored aura that corresponds with one of your fighting styles as they regenerate health. When you’re in that style, you can perform an extra-special damaging move that halts the process and makes the battle a lot easier.

Unfortunately, without getting into too much detail, they decide to introduce this concept before effectively stripping you of it without really telling you. Getting it back is simply a matter of applying experience points to the appropriate leveling-up chart, but you’re not informed of this in any way, thus leading to some confusion (and YouTube videos explaining what to do) I’ve witnessed around online.

Oh, and on the note of leveling up: Since making fat stacks of cash was more of an 80’s theme in the original, it doesn’t play into “buying” moves and levels as it did in Yakuza 0, and enemies don’t have cash flying when beaten. Instead, leveling up is done in an altogether more traditional fashion. It’s understandable, but slightly disappointing after the thrill of mad money flying everywhere.

Speaking of difficulty, another new feature in Yakuza Kiwami is the “Majima Everywhere.” Early on in the game, you meet up with Yakuza 0’s other playable character, Goro Majima, and he pretty much wipes the floor with you, setting up the idea of him attacking you at random to help restore the Dragon of Dojima to his former glory. I was worried that these battles would prove cumbersome to deal with, but relieved to find out that would not be the case.

Instead, Majima Everywhere is a true highlight of the game – you really can’t be sure where he’ll come from, and he goes to some crazily absurd lengths to draw the attention of “Kiryu-chan.” There came one point where his attacks became relentless and were actively preventing me from progressing in the story, but he soon backed off and allowed me some time to do what I needed to do. That brief period aside, Majima is a delight to encounter, save for the occasions you simply run into him while roaming, as he sadly has only one script for every such encounter. Those are still fun, mind, but feels like they’d have been better had Majima been given more to say.

Sadly, one disappointing thing about Majima is that he doesn’t really feel much like the same character we met and played as in Yakuza 0. Maybe there’s room for a “Yakuza 0.5” to tell the rest of his story?

The Kamurocho area feels much like Yakuza 0 as well, but with some 17 years of change applied to it, allowing the map to feel both familiar yet fresh at the same time. Of course, without Sōtenbori to run around in as well, the play area of the game is only about half the size of its prequel. Even so, some different things have been done to freshen things up, such as the locker keys and game cards which now litter the streets, replacing the phone cards from before.

Incidentally, another carryover from Yakuza 0 is that when you come across someone being victimized, it seems the goons and Kazuma’s dialogue is lifted straight from that game.

In terms of story, Yakuza Kiwami comes from a kind of weird place, as it remakes a game that did not have a predecessor behind it. As such, you don’t really have to have played Yakuza 0 to follow along in Kiwami. It’s beneficial, to be sure, as there are indeed various references dropped throughout, and even an entire side-story which calls back to the prequel, but for the most part, you’re given all the context you need to follow along with what’s happening in the here and now without having played the first one.

Even so, I really do recommend playing Yakuza 0 first. For one reason, it’s just a great game, but for another, it will help to enlighten you to some of the main characters, their relationships, and their hardships in this game. In fact, in some ways, Yakuza Kiwami on its own feels less like Kazuma’s story than it does his friend Akira Nishikiyama, which unfolds throughout the course of the game. But playing Yakuza 0 beforehand helps reinforce the bond the two have, helping make Kiryu’s tie to everything feel that much stronger.

Beyond that, a word of warning worth heeding is that the story can be fairly confusing at first, presenting the player with a number of flashbacks (and I think even some flashbacks within flashbacks) that can be a little much to take in. Fortunately, it’s not long before things straighten out a bit and everything makes more sense as it runs smoothly, so I encourage you to stick with it if you’re trying to get a grasp on things and it feels like a bit much.

Yakuza Kiwami is a bit of an odd one, a game that feels as much like a sequel as it is a remake, which makes sense as it is both. In some ways, one could also say it feels like a sort of second episode or expansion to Yakuza 0, as it’s a shorter game that focuses on half the main characters and settings of that title. As a remake of a game that’s 12 years old and had plenty of time to see numerous refinements and growth, there is only so much one can be expected to do to bring it up to modern standards.

Still, just as I loved Yakuza 0, I love Yakuza Kiwami. It has its quirks and foibles, sure, and I might even like its recent prequel just a little more, but damn if I didn’t enjoy every moment I played (and will continue playing, as there are still plenty of sidequests left to handle). I can’t say the game is without faults, but none of them were ever enough to bring me down in the face of all the goodness it has to offer.

Summary

Yakuza 0 set a new standard for the series as the best place to start, but if the lower-price is more of a draw, then you’ll of course still do well by jumping in with Yakuza Kiwami. And if you’ve already played Yakuza 0, then this soft reboot is a great way to keep the good times rolling.

I’d end by saying “Bring on Yakuza Kiwami 2,” but since Yakuza 6 stands between the two releases, I’ll just have to hope it will be as friendly to series newcomers and veterans alike as this was.

Pros:

+ Shorter, single-character narrative makes for a tighter experience+ Majima everywhere is a blast, and helps make up for the lack of him as a playable character this time+ All fighting styles from Yakuza Zero are available right at the start+ Some punks, a dog, a rock, and Kazuma. You’ll know why when you see it

Cons:

– Really could have introduced players to Kiwami Heat actions better– No vintage SEGA games to play at the arcade this time– The number of multiplayer games feels limited compared to the number of mini-games featured in the main campaign itself– No Mark Hamill as Majima. [Note to self: Ask him to squeal “Kiryu-chan!!” for me on Twitter]

]]>http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/20/review-yakuza-kiwami/feed/033368http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/20/review-yakuza-kiwami/Atlus announces Dragon’s Crown Pro for PlayStation 4http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seganerds/~3/SZnlMxBEvxw/
http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/19/atlus-announces-dragons-crown-pro-for-playstation-4/#commentsTue, 19 Sep 2017 17:57:32 +0000http://www.seganerds.com/?p=33370The original Dragon’s Crown came out almost four years ago, and was met with critical acclaim. Today, Atlus has revealed Dragon’s Crown Pro for the PlayStation 4.

The game will be presented in 4K resolution, and will support cross-play with users on the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. The soundtrack is said to be re-recorded by a live orchestra and the Japanese release will also include English voices.

Dragon’s Crown Pro will be released in Japan on January 25th and no word has been said on an international release.

]]>http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/19/atlus-announces-dragons-crown-pro-for-playstation-4/feed/233370http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/19/atlus-announces-dragons-crown-pro-for-playstation-4/Shadow coming to Sonic Forces, plus Digital Bonus Edition pre-orders now openhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seganerds/~3/4EK92hoJq5g/
http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/19/shadow-coming-to-sonic-forces-plus-digital-bonus-edition-pre-order-now-open/#commentsTue, 19 Sep 2017 16:38:23 +0000http://www.seganerds.com/?p=33342SEGA has announced that pre-orders for the Digital Bonus Edition of Sonic Forces on Xbox One and PS4 are now open. The Digital Bonus Edition will feature the ‘SEGA/ATLUS Pack’ – an add-on that gives players a variety of in-game outfits for their Hero Character to wear.

Plus, for those fans of Shadow out there, SEGA has announced that from Sonic Forces’ launch day, players will be treated to a free add-on called ‘Episode Shadow’. Episode Shadow focuses on a backstory with Shadow and Infinite (the game’s mysterious antagonist), including three Shadow stages, the ability to replay as Shadow across 10 Modern Sonic stages, plus you’ll also receive a Shadow costume for your Hero Character.

SEGA has confirmed that the Sonic Forces Digital Bonus Edition pre-orders are live now for Xbox One and PS4, with PC Digital Bonus Edition pre-orders starting on September 21, 2017. Pre-orders can be made directly on the sonicthehedgehog.com website.

[Source: SEGA PR]

]]>http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/19/shadow-coming-to-sonic-forces-plus-digital-bonus-edition-pre-order-now-open/feed/333342http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/19/shadow-coming-to-sonic-forces-plus-digital-bonus-edition-pre-order-now-open/Dreamcast’s Monaco Grand Prix Online is back online again!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seganerds/~3/dZgRvIpsYa0/
http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/16/dreamcasts-monaco-grand-prix-online-is-back-online-again/#respondSat, 16 Sep 2017 21:26:22 +0000http://www.seganerds.com/?p=33328You gotta hand it to the Dreamcast community and their tenacious ways of keeping the Dreamcast and its library alive. If you’re not aware, there’s a pretty strong and growing community over at Dreamcast Live, filled with gamers dedicated to keeping the Dreamcast online and bringing back its library of online games to the Internet.

As reported by Dreamcast Live and Dreamcast Junkyard, a wonderful person by the name of ‘Shuouma’ has now resurrected the overly-long-titled Racing Simulation 2: Monaco Grand Prix Online (we’ll just call it Grand Prix Online). What’s great is that Monaco Grand Prix Online features full online racing for up to 6 players, plus online leaderboards.

Above, you can see a video of Pcwzrd13 (from Dreamcast Live) and Shuouma playing a two player game online with the game.

However, before you all get too excited, it should be noted that Monaco Grand Prix Online was a PAL-only title – meaning many gamers will either need to import a copy (and have a Dreamcast that can play imports), or you’ll need to burn a copy of the game (if you’re happy to do so). And if you’re thinking: “But I’m in America and I own a NTSC copy of Monaco Grand Prix.” There were three confusingly named versions of Monaco Grand Prix on the Dreamcast and only one, released late in the Dreamcast’s life (2001) had online multiplayer.

It also looks like the best way to get Monaco Grand Prix Online working is with a DreamPi – which now seems to be one of the most favoured ways of getting your Dreamcast online these days. It’s possible to make your own DreamPi, or you can buy them directly (all setup) from Dreamcast Live (which is actually what I did recently).

If you do happen to own a copy of Monaco Grand Prix Online and also have your Dreamcast working online, then Dreamcast Live has a nifty connection guide, to helping you get online with the game (as many of these games do require a little fiddling to get back online), you can find the guide here.

It’s great to see more online Dreamcast games coming back as they were meant to be played – online. Fingers crossed we’ll see even more soon!

]]>http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/16/dreamcasts-monaco-grand-prix-online-is-back-online-again/feed/033328http://www.seganerds.com/2017/09/16/dreamcasts-monaco-grand-prix-online-is-back-online-again/SEGA NerdcastnonadultThe SEGA Nerdcast is a weekly video game news and entertainment podcast produced by SegaNerds.com. During each episode, the hosts recap the week's SEGA news, answer questions from their fans and provide endless entertainment with their obnoxious banter an